Carpet-stretcher



(No Model.)

F. v. POSTER. CARPET STRBTGHER. No. 429,567. 'PatentedJune s, 1890.

v UNITED STATES FREDERICK V. FOSTER, OF DUNKIRK, NEV YORK.

CARPET-STRETCHER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 429,567, dated June 3, 1890.

Application filed April 12, 1888. Serial No. 270,440- (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, FREDERICK V. Fos'rnn, of Dunkirk, in the county of Chautauqua and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Carpet- Stretchersfand I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to an improvement in carpet-stretchers, the object being to produce .a light, cheap, and simple device which will fully described in the annexed specification,

and pointed out in the claims.

Referringto the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of the device in position for use. Fig. 2 is an enlarged bottom plan view of the kn ee-board and attached parts of the stretcher.

A is a rectangular piece of board, preferably of hard wood, having true edges and smooth bottom surface. Thetop of the board A is covered with suitable fabric B, Brussels carpet being best adapted for the purpose, a padding being inserted between the carpet and top surface of the board A, so that a cushion is thus afforded to accommodate the knees of the operator, as will be further explained.

Upon the under side of the knee-board A strips of wire-toothed leather material 0, technicallyknown as carding-strips,arefastened at spaced intervals. There may be three or more narrow strips 0 used, three being sufficient for the purpose; or, if desired,the entire surface of the knee-board may be covered with the card material. 7

In one of the side edges of knee-board A two screw-eyes D are inserted so that the eyes alone will project and have the openings in the eyes in the same plane or horizontal line with regard to each other, and they are spaced a proper distance apart. The screw-eyes D are designed to afford a means for the detachable connection of the spring-bail E, which is made, preferably, of stout wire. It has aring or eye a, formed by bending the material near its center, of length so as to cross the wire strands at b, and thus produce two limbs c, which are of equal length, these extending obliquely from the eye a, diverging sufficiently to allow the hooks d, which are formed on their ends, to be inserted or hooked into the screw-eyes D. In order to properly retain the spring-bail E in connection with the screw-eyes D, the limbs c are bent so as to require to be sprung toward each other to permit their books d to engage the eyes D, and as these hooks are bent outwardly in opposite directions, it is evident that when the hooks d are inserted in the screw-eyes the spring action of the bent wire bail E will hold it in place and allow it to have a hinged movement in the eyes.

Upon each end of the knee-board A, nearer the forward edge or the side to which the spring-bail E is hinged, the locking-clogs F are pivotally secured by wood-screws or other proper means. These dogs consist of flat metal strips, steel being preferred as a material from which to make them. They are of such a length as to project a proper distance in advance of the knee-board to permit their sharpen ed depending toes h to be driven into the bare flooring in advance of the carpet, which is engaged by the hooked lower surface of the knee-board A, and secure the stretched carpet temporarily, as will presently be more fully explained.

The manual power to stretch the carpet is applied to a lever G, which is preferably made of hard tough wood turned into rounded form and of a proper length to afford the necessary leverage. The lower end of the lever G is provided with a ferrule i to prevent it from splitting, and a steel spike or spragpoint 76 is forcibly inserted in this end, so as to firmly secure it in place, a portion of its body projecting, as shown, to allow it to be forced into the flooring, and thus hold the lever in engagement with it wherever desired.

An open hook on, the body of which is coarsely threaded, is inserted in the lever G at a proper distance from the sprag-point k.

In operation a carpet is first secured by tacking or otherwise fastening one edge to the floor near the wall of the room. The carpet is now spread neatly over the surface of the floor, and on the side of the room opposite to the tacked edge of the carpet, a short distance from the wash-board, the knee-board A is laid upon the carpet near one of the side edges of the same, and the lever G is grasped by the operator and inserted in the floor close to the wash-board inclined toward the operator. It should be understood that the kneeboard A is so relatively placed with regard to the lever G that the spring-bail E will be outwardly extended to afford a means for drawing the carpet toward the lever when the latter is pushed toward the vertical wall of the apartment. After the carpet has been stretched by this movement of the lever G the dogs F are turned down over the loose folded carpet which is to be spread toward the wash-board, and these dogs are then driven into the floor sufficiently to lock fast and hold the stretched body of the carpet, and thus permit the short loose portion which is between the knee-board and wall to be spread so that its edge will be close to the wash-board, where it may now be secured by tacks or other preferred means.

It should be explained that in performing the operation just described the knees of the operator are placed upon the padded and covered upper surface of the knee-board A, which will allow him to exert his full strength to push the lever from him, and as his weight is upon the knee-board its hooked lower surface will be held in close contact with the carpet, and thus prevented from slipping and injuring the carpet.

The operation just described will secure the carpet at two opposite edges about the length of the knee-board, and by a repetition of the operation in an obvious manner the carpet may be properly stretched andtacked on all sides of the room.

A particular feature of novelty and excellence in this device consists in the hooked spring-bail, which by its form of construction allows it to be quickly attached and detached to remove it when the final tacking of the carpet held by the stretcher is effected.

The provision of the locking-clogs is another special feature of advantage, as the strained carpet may be held at any desired point by their use.

I do not claim all the details of construction of this device to be broadly new, as I am aware some of these mechanical elements have been previously used in different cont binations; but,

Having fully described myinvention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a carpet-stretcher, the combination, with a knee-board having a toothed lower surface and pivoted dogs, of a spring-bail detachably secured to the front edge of the knee-board and a lever secured to the springbail.

2. In a carpet-stretcher, the combination, with a knee-board having forwardly-inclined teeth on its lower face and locking-dogs pivoted to the ends of the knee-boards and provided with points adapted to enter the floor in advance of the knee-board, of a bail detachably secured to the knee-board and a handle secured to the front end of the bail.

3. In a carpet-stretcher, the combination, with a knee-board having forwardly-inclined teeth on its lower face and the dogs pivoted to the sides of the knee-board near the front edge thereof, of a bail secured to the front edge of the knee-board and a lever attached to the front end of the bail.

1-. In a carpet stretcher, the combination, with a knee-board, of a padded cover on this board, a toothed lower surface secured to the knee-board, two locking-dogs pivoted to the ends of the board, a spring-bail having an integral bent eye, and hooks,-screw-eyes, and a lever having a sprag-point and an open hook which is adapted to engage the eye of the spring-bail and be readily released from it, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

FREDERICK V. FOSTER. lVitnesses:

WALTER W. I-IoL'r, GUY SMITH. 

